Google's Nexus One is following in the iPhone's footsteps. Its 3G connectivity is spotty, and Google is hurrying a patch, just as Apple was forced to do when it introduced the iPhone 3G.
Thanks to some sharp eyes at Cnet's Deep Tech, we've been alerted to a blog post in the Nexus One help forum in which an apologetic Googler …

COMMENTS

Same chip/stack?

Do the two devices by chance share some 3G-related hardware (or chip manufacturer's default drivers)? Perhaps the real problem is with it, and custom software patches are needed to make the chip manufacturer's code work better. If so, I imagine there are some chuckles going on in Apple. Likely are anyway!

It makes me wonder...

Testing?

Why would you want to do any testing? Surely that's what your early adopters (aka fanbois) are for!

Then again, you could argue that in Apple's case, they had an excuse: when the iPhone 3G came out, it was the first time they had to deal with the technology. Google on the other hand have had 3G in all previous iterations of Android, even though the handsets were provided by other manufacturers. Maybe HTC and co had to redo the 3G stack in their Android handsets and "forgot" to notify Google?

hmm

The commonality probably stems from the fact that neither Google or Apple are phone makers, and as such they probably don't have the QA process that companies like Nokia or Motorola have. Products always work well before you let the damned users have a go. Then you have to go back and see if you can't convince your QA system to act a bit more like the real world.

Nokia and Motorola are the worst offenders

granted they have a much larger portfolio of products, but i've not used a phone from either that hasn't has some obvious bugs and hardware issues.

the most memorable for me being Motorola's RAZR which would freeze for no apparant reason, bluetooth issues where the phone would unpair with a headset, crash and say it had no bluetooth on reboot. both issues had to be fixed by doing a full reset by taking the battery out. Considering that the BT issue was most grievous when driving, made for a phone that quickly got shitcanned.

" but it appears that Mountain View still has a thing or two to learn from Apple."

"Such as how to provide a smartphone with decent 3G connectivity."

Yeah, Google's never going to be as good as Apple. They still need to mimic the iphone's SMS exploits, the lack of cut,copy,paste, overheating battery, worse battery life, closed draconian marketplace, and generally mactarded userbase.

Blimey

@iampizza

My wife's iPhone has cut, copy & paste (perhaps you were on holiday when they implemented that feature?) its battery doesn't overheat and lasts a lot longer than my G1.

She also doesn't own a Mac.

I myself own no Apple products but at least I don't feel the need to slag off the products I've chosen not to buy. I suggest we call people who choose this path by the name they really deserve - "retards".

Other problems with signal

Google have also acknowledged that this is specific to certain areas of T-Mobile coverage, and is somehow related to the T-Mobile network. I've not heard any reports of this problem from the 10 or so people I know with Nexuses in the UK.

But it's not just 3G that has problems with Android. There's a known issue with Android where it loses signal and then fails to re-aquire it, requiring the owner to switch Airplane mode on and off again to get a signal again (not just 3G - this is a phone signal *at all*). The issue was present in 1.5, but remains unresolved in 1.6, 2.0 and 2.1 by all accounts, and is not hardware-specific:

http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=2845

Having said that, new hardware (and software) has bugs. People want pocket computers that do everything, and they want them to take huge leaps in functionality and hardware every 6 months. It's hardly surprising there's going to be a few glitches.

Nothing new

When I first rooted my G1 I applied a radio firmware update from HTC and the 3G went from OK to amazing. My Nexus is currently showing worse performance than the G1 or the Huawei modem. I expect a radio patch will sort it out lovely.

2G performance is up on the Nexus, I can get basic coverage in far more places than any other device I have owned so far.

Learning from one's peers

«The iPhone 3G's OS was patched not once but twice before the problems faded - but not before Apple was threatened with a class-action lawsuit due to its poor initial performance.

The relationship between Apple and Google may be icing up - so much so that Apple is reportedly thinking of jumping in bed with Bing - but it appears that Mountain View still has a thing or two to learn from Apple.»

Either Google *did* learn from Apple by releasing a device with faulty 3G reception or the above two paragraphs represent a classic example of a Register non-sequitur. Agreed that Google - and/or HTC - should have tested the Nexus One more thoroughly before releasing it to the public (it was, I understand, tested by some 200 Google employees before being released, but perhaps 3G coverage in that part of the United States is so bad that the issue never came up), but likewise, Mr Myslewski might be advised to read his blogs through before posting them....